Cookie Window
A cookie window (or cookie duration) is the length of time after a referral click during which a resulting conversion will still be credited to that affiliate.
When a customer clicks an affiliate link, a tracking cookie is stored in their browser. If they buy within the cookie window — commonly 30, 60, or 90 days — the affiliate earns the commission. After it expires, the referral is no longer attributed.
Longer cookie windows are more generous to affiliates and important for products with long consideration cycles, like B2B SaaS. With browsers restricting third-party cookies, many programs supplement or replace cookies with first-party cookies and server-to-server tracking to keep attribution accurate.
See also
- Attribution
Attribution is the process of determining which affiliate or marketing touchpoint should receive credit — and the commission — for a conversion.
- Last-Click Attribution
Last-click attribution credits the entire commission to the final affiliate or link the customer clicked before converting.
- S2S / Postback Tracking
Server-to-server (S2S) postback tracking records conversions by sending an event directly from the merchant's backend to the affiliate platform, without relying on browser cookies.
- Conversion
A conversion is the qualifying action — such as a sale, signup, lead, or subscription — that triggers an affiliate commission.
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